I want more choices!

[JLG]

I only have one choice when it comes to a cable provider. I tried to get one of the satellite providers but my apartment complex does not have a dish and my apartment is not facing the right way for a dish on my patio to pick it up. All of the other providers are not servicing my area. So I am only left with one choice for cable. Comcast charges so much and that is even with the most basic package.

I admit that I watch a lot of TV and it relaxes me on my day off. Right now I don't have any service because I had too many bills to pay and I had to stop the service for awhile. I love to read books but now I miss my cable and I want it back

I miss my shows. I am going to get it back soon and figure out how to keep it in my budget.

I know there are more important things than cable TV but after a long day at work I want to relax on my couch flipping through those channels.

[Sunsetsky]

Same here. I can't afford the cable television anyways. When I stayed at a hotel on a short trip in December it was so nice to be able to stretch out on that bed and watch cable television.

[Kiwi]

Its not the same but K and I use the library for our tv viewing. The local library has free (or very cheap) rentals of just about every movie/tv show out there, even the most obsure ones.
We have 40 on a waiting list and everyweek trade them in for new ones. See if your local library has some kind of dvd section.

[Bright_Star]

You can always get one of those digital convertor boxes.

[blas]

If basic extended cable wasn't included in my rent, I'd probably only have the basic channels that may come in. I'm not even willing to pay $50 a month for bare minimum channels.

[Broomjockey]

Maybe try looking in to internet television (assuming you've got internet service at home, any way)? Hulu should be a good option. Just find a way to pipe the video from your computer to the TV.

[JustaCashier]

I gave up cable around 7 or 8 years ago, because even Expanded Basic was getting too expensive. So, I've been back on rabbit ears ever since. Hated to trade the good reception for crappy (although one local station, and sometimes one other, would consistently come in as clear as cable). Also missed History Channel, USA, Discovery Channel and others.

Got my Digital Converter a little over a year ago now, and love it! Still have some reception issues, (and with Digital, it's pretty much all or none, no "snow" that might be a bit annoying but watchable, it's more like the signal cuts in and out).

Not only do I get a few extra "Sub-Channels", the picture, as long as I have a strong enough signal, is perfect. I think the sound is better too.

One thing about needing a Digital Converter though, make sure you actually need one. My TV is currently ten years old, and I believe all that have been manufactured in the last few years, (3, 4, 5 or so?) are Digital, they would just need the rabbit ears, or where applicable/possible rooftop antenna. Just make sure the antanna is compatible with digital.

JLG, if you decide to go the rabbit ear (and Converter, if needed) route, make sure that you can return the rabbit ears should they not work out for you.

Like I said, other than some reception issues, which often seem to be affected by the wind and other weather stuff, I can get all of my local stations in. However, a few months ago, my buddy that lives across the hall was getting tired of dealing with the Cable Co crap, and bought a pricey pair of rabbit ears. He lives on the back of our building, I'm on the front, both second floor of a three story, both on the end of the building, (although my place juts out as an "ell"). He could only get one channel in. It came in great, but just that one channel. Which was great, since that was the one the football game was on!

We moved the rabbit ears every which way, and probably could have dinked around with it a little more, but he decided to just keep the Cable (Fortunately he hadn't canceled yet, just had to reprogram the TV, after reprogramming it for the rabbit ears.)

So, just make sure you'll be able to return the rabbit ears, if you can't get any reception, even if there are other tenants in your building that happen to have rabbit ears, and do have reception.


Here's a Linky Thingy to antennaweb.org, that should also help you determine any reception issues:

http://antennaweb.org/aw/welcome.aspx


Hope this helps!

Mike

[draggar]

Good luck getting more choices.

The cable companies, even though they compete, agree not to infringe on each other's areas. Company A will get this town while Company B will get that town.

It's sickening but they're allowed to do that so they can have a virtual monopoly (non-competing competition *and* it's not considered a necessity).

[trailerparkmedic]

Have you tried hulu or Netflix? Netflix seems to have a lot of shows available for streaming, especially when compared to the movie selection.

[JLG]

Thank you for all your suggestions! I do watch shows on line and I get movies from netflix. I just miss sitting on my couch or laying on my bed and flipping through the channels

I love having hundreds of channels to look through. It have been renting movies and watching stuff on line for awhile now and I still miss my cable

[RecoveringKinkoid]

Have you tried hulu or Netflix? Netflix seems to have a lot of shows available for streaming, especially when compared to the movie selection.

I get Roku (which is through Netflix)

I pay something like ten bucks a month and have more stuff than I can watch.

I do not have cable or satellite of any sort.

I can hook up a laptop to my tv, too, and watch hulu.

I can't tell you how much I love this system. I'm ruined for anything else.

[nhollywood]

Good luck getting more choices.

The cable companies, even though they compete, agree not to infringe on each other's areas. Company A will get this town while Company B will get that town.

It's sickening but they're allowed to do that so they can have a virtual monopoly (non-competing competition *and* it's not considered a necessity).

Actually, the reason most areas only have one cable company is cost. When I worked for ^blue and green^ cable company, we had another company come in and try to overbuild our area. The cost to overbuild an area versus the number of potential customers is cost prohibitive. There aren't enough customers to handle two cable companies in the same town. The other cable company found that out the hard way.